We played with positive energy: Cook

The England opener feels that the flared tempers visible in the second Test reflected the 'intensity' that the teams played with.

The flared tempers visible in the second cricket Test between India and England reflected the 'intensity and positive energy' that both teams played with and expect more of it in the Oval Test as well, says opener Alastair Cook.

Even as match referee Ranjan Madugalle pleaded restraint after tempers ran high with the jelly bean affair, Cook said the two teams were well within limits and were merely playing with intensity.

"I don't think there was any problem with the way this Test match was played. And I don't think anyone has overstepped the mark over the past five days," Cook wrote in his column for Daily Telegraph.

"You have got to remember that every player out there is playing for his country. England have a proud record to defend in Test matches, especially at home, and I think it is right that we should play our cricket with intensity and positive energy and we will look to continue that at the Oval next week," he added.

Cook also played down the jelly bean incident and said he was "disappointed by the way the saga has been blown up out of all proportion."

"It has ended up overshadowing a hard-fought Test match, in which both teams played some excellent cricket, and the suggestion that it could have affected the final result is quite ridiculous," he added.

Cook was among the English players suspected of throwing the beans on the crease causing offence to Team India pacer Zaheer Khan.

English skipper Michael Vaughan has since apologised for the 'prank'.

Meanwhile, former England captain Sir Ian Botham felt the hosts acted like schoolboys by throwing jelly beans on the crease.

"Jelly Beans on a cricket pitch. Just what on earth was all that about? I'm still waiting for someone to explain the point of that. From where I was sitting it looked like it came straight out of children's hour," Botham wrote in The Mirror.

"I just don't know what they were trying to achieve. I can promise you I've never seen a jelly bean on any cricket field I've played on, and it was just a childish move that probably won't happen again because they'll be so embarrassed by it," he added.

Botham felt the Indians were no better and said S Sreesanth's antics should be a big worry for skipper Rahul Dravid.

"A big worry for the Indians is S Sreesanth because his no-ball from three feet over the crease was not on. I think the Indians will sort him out in-house and let him know he can't carry on that way," he said.

"It was a shame for Sreesanth because I think he is an exceptional talent when he concentrates just on bowling. At the moment I think he is too easily distracted and that is a bit of a problem," he added.